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lhs3020b · 5 years

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Boris And the Baddest of Bad Weeks

I promised an expanded entry on what’s going on at the moment in our national meltdown, so here it is...

Allow me, if I may, to walk back an earlier comment of mine. Some time ago, I was distinctly skeptical about the idea of an early general election. However, the situation has evolved. You see, there was one thing I didn't count on. I never imagined that Boris Johnson would be stupid enough to force nearly two dozen of his MPs out of his party.

That's right: I over-estimated his intelligence. Umm, whoops.

In my defence, what he did may well have been the single most utterly-stupidly self-defeating maneuver ever in British politics. The only sense I can make from it is that he's having a narcisistic breakdown. Actually, viewed in that very narrow light, perhaps it does make a little sense. If you've ever had the misfortune to have a narcissist in your life, you'll be aware that the thing they just can't cope with is any sort of rejection. The "no"-word tends to summon a meltdown - and of course BoJo faced a pretty major series of "nopes" from Parliament this week.

The other thing I didn't count on was that apparently yes, there actually are some things that some Tory MPs just won't do, even if the consequences of Not Doing The Thing runs to damaging their personal careers. This did come as a surprise to me - I'd assumed that blind partisanship and the desire for salaries would ultimately trump - or perhaps, Trump - all other concerns. But no, credit where it's due, it turns out that for at least 21 of them, there was a floor on the greed after all. Admittedly it's taken us three years of accelerating chaos to find it, but it was there.

The next factor that I didn't count on was that the opposition parties got their act together. Bluntly, there was no hint of this over the summer. The speed with which it happened has left me a little dazed. The earlier failure to call a Vote of No Confidence, the weird shenanigens over ludicrous Governments-of-National-Unity, the generalised infighting and chronic myopia ... just two weeks ago, it was not looking good. I was basically starting to quietly accept that we on the pro-Remain side were finally defeated, and worst of all, we'd been defeated mainly by our own allies.

Then the prorogue happened.

It's fair to say that it's already backfired. The obvious cynicism of the strategy, the naked contempt for all the institutions of British government, the sheer gall of it all - it was meant to energise the pro-Brexit crowd. Instead, it appears to have driven everyone on the soft-Brexit/pro-Remain aisle into a state of thermonuclear rage. And if there's one thing that can bring unlikely allies together, it's a common enemy. By pursuing his grandiose "oh look at me being so Brexity!" cock-strutting routine, Boris accidentally made himself into exactly that enemy.

The other factor was that the prorogue has imposed a sharp time-limit. Consequently, Continuity!Remain just doesn't have the luxury of descending into factional infighting. The deep irony is that putting us on a tight deadline has actually helped us. It's imposed a focus that just wasn't there even 10 days ago.

Meanwhile, as for the wider country, well, Boris's walk-about up north yesterday seems to have been a complete disaster. Random people were basically coming up to him to tell him that it had all gone wrong. Then there was that bizarre speech he gave in front of a captive audience of police recruits. It was just weird - proper delusion territory, and entirely-incoherent. I'd like to compare it to Trump, but at least Trump can manage a consistent theme. Johnson was just rambling. There was nothing there, except possibly a desperate plea for attention. A lot of the political journalists I follow are openly-speculating about whether BoJo was on drugs during the speech.

(And wouldn't that be the ultimate post-2016 banter-timeline twist? If the Prime Minister - the Prime Minister! - got busted for snorting crack?)

Meanwhile, BoJo's narc-meltdown has accidentally undone Theresa May's one significant achievement.

Contrary to what many people think, Theresa May did manage to thread one single needle. That was, she (mostly) managed to keep the parliamentary Conservative Party together. Granted a few MPs jumped ship to Change UK earlier in the year, but it stayed in single digits. There was no big split - and, significantly, the Change UK crowd got wet feet about no-confidencing her. The advantage of this was that Theresa May avoided having the Tories fall into what we might call the 1922 Trap. Here's what I mean by that: in the late 19th Century, the old Liberal Party was increasingly-split on the issue of Home Rule for Ireland. The tensions only got worse as time went on. Then Asquith went and delivered the First World War and precious little else of value. (He was notably-slimey on votes for women, and seemed uninterested in doing anything about the property qualification that 40% of men still faced. The cynic might note that Nick Clegg's behaviour is not entirely new.) Lloyd George tried to put the party back on its feet, but the damage was done. During the 1920s, the Liberals were openly-split. At elections, Liberals ran against each other in numerous constituencies. Because of the way first-past-the-post voting works, in practise this meant that Tories or Labour got elected instead. (A constituency has - say - 46% of the vote for any Liberal candidate, but two run. Each of them gets 23% of the vote. A.N. Other Party takes 24% and gets the MP's seat.)

Theresa May's political strategy - yes, she actually did have one - was predicated on avoiding having Tories run against other Tories at elections. Given their divisions, it was a narrow needle, but she mostly managed to thread it. Boris Johnson has gone and exploded that. You see, of the 21 MPs he's sacked from the party, several are saying they'll contest the next election as independents.

It's hard to know just how big a problem the 1922 Trap will be - but, their vote is already split with the Brexit Party. And even the most optimistic opinion polls have the Tories around 10pts down on where they were in 2017. They're already in minority in the House - how many votes can they afford to lose, really?

Meanwhile, there's a further problem. The Tories' drift to the political right may have taken them too far. They assume that their friends at the Times, the Sun, the Telegraph and the BBC can plaster over the cracks for them - but, can they? The media was full-throated for May in 2017, and she still lost her majority. The newspapers are hysterical and shriekier than ever - but, who reads them? I can't remember the last time I bought a physical copy of one of the main papers. I suspect that's true of many other people too. There are signs that the socially-liberal/financially-conservative chunk of voters are starting to decamp to the Lib Dems. Again, it's not clear how big this movement is - but, as I said earlier, how many votes can the Tories afford to lose? It's possible that they could be facing the nightmare scenario of a general election where the right-wing vote is split three ways (four, if you count UKIP's still-slightly-tembling corpse, though they're close to a rounding error now). If the next election was still certain to be in 2022, all this would be somewhat academic. Two and a half years is a long time, they could find a way to turn things around. All things being equal, I expect they would.

But then BoJo had his narc meltdown, didn't he?

The so-called government is now in absolute minority in the House. While their opponents can't currently agree on an alternative prime minister, nonetheless the anti-BoJo grouping now has a majority of 43. They can stop him doing anything. No legislation is going to go through this house. Finance bills are basically dead on arrival. I really can't see how he could pass any kind of Budget. And also, if he does anything at all to irritate the Opposition, they can no-confidence him any time they feel like it. Quite simply, he's on death row.

My guess is that they'll leave him be during the prorogue period. The logic here is obvious enough - let him twist in the wind. He's doing a great job of destroying himself, so let him get on with it. This way, when Parliament returns late in October, they can do the deed and it will look like a mercy-killing rather than a gang-land execution.

Hypothetically, there are four ways Boris could get off the hook:

1) He could resign. This would arguably save him some dignity, and just perhaps it might leave a little room to revive his future career. But, he won’t take this option. He’s a narc. They don’t voluntarily quit. (Plus, uh, much as I’d cackle if he was forced to quit, it just leaves his successor with the same set of problems that he failed to address.)

2) He could try to simply ignore the anti-hard Brexit law. The problem here is, it would give the opposition a prima facie grounds for an immediate Motion of No Confidence. He might get some love from the rightwing press, but the ultimate result would presumably be his removal and a new Prime Minister. It would be the most pointless constitutional crisis ever.

3) He could arrange to lose a motion of no confidence in his own government. This would arguably be constitutional, and might be a way to trigger an early election. But, it would a) look utterly-absurd, b) be an unprecedented thing to do and c) would also require him personally to face the House telling him to fuck off. I’m not sure that a narc is capable of that. Also, there’s the issue that, as we saw in 2017, there’s no guarantee that he could win a general election. I’m absolutely not sanguine about the risks of an early GE but a) that’s democracy and b) if he runs his campaign the way he’s running being PM then he could well end up roasted.

4) He could reverse the prorogue. On the one hand, un-proroguing Parliament would buy him some extra legislative time. On the other hand, his opponents have control of the House, and a wobble on the prorogue would make him look weak. There’s not much upside for him here, though it’s the most “conventional” of the four options.

Basically the TL;DR is that while he has some choices, none of them are good and all of them could cause him considerable personal pain. The opposition have set up a proper four-pronged Morton’s Fork for him. Which tine will he impale himself on?

As for Brexit? Well, one interesting detail is that the underlying political question seems to be open again. It hasn't quite gained mainstream traction yet, but apparently people are starting to ask whether Brexit is going to happen at all. The Labour Party's position has moved visibly toward hard-Remain, albeit grudgingly. The Lib Dems are having their time in the sun again (though, I suspect that glomming up Philip Lee may help them less than they seem to hope). I don't know that I think it's going to happen, but I can now imagine a situation where at the end of October, the anti-BoJo constellation No-Confidences him then pushes a quick revocation bill through Parliament. (The "party line" here would be, "We wanted a second referendum but this man's scheming hasn't left us enough time.") Again, not saying this is at all likely, but I think it is now a possible outcome.

And if nothing else, BoJo's supposed golden hour is turning out to be quite the nightmarish turkey - and isn't that just delicious?

#diary of a disaster #UK internal politics #Boris's bad bad no good week #hahahahaha

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madammuffins · 6 years

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KiriBaku Dribble PT 1

Mostly because I'm really, really tired of all the whimpering, roll over, wimpy, overly sensitive and emotional Kirishima

And also the really mean, out of touch, semi-abusive, emotionally stoic, unrepentant Bakugou who steam rolls everyone.

He threw himself on the bench, cold milk tea in hand. He tried - fuck did he try - but his eyes and his will seemed to have a mind of their own. His glance shifted anxiously between his watch and the corner of the street two blocks over. He popped the cap, drinking in sips to pass the time.

People passed, some catching his eye, quickly ducking their heads or turning to their entourage and whispering.

'Is that-'

'Doesnt he look like-'

He tsked at the blatant stares. Rude, but to be expected for an up-and-coming top hero. He took another drink as his eyes darted to the corner, his stomach clenched as sweat began to gather along his hair line and lower back. 'Was he late? Did he plan this wrong? Somehow get the schedule messed up?' His left leg began bouncing as he slouched forward, arms draped over his knees, drink half gone and hanging precariously from his finger tips as doubt and worry flooded him. 'No. No way.' He'd been meticulous in his planning - striving for the same perfection with which he did everything. 'Did something happen? A robbery maybe? A... a murder?' He snorted at his line of thought. 'A kitten stuck in a tree.' He decided, the smile that crept across his face was one of personal amusement while they pictured their friend in that position; awkward limbs, massive hands, tiny animal being returned to an equally tiny person.

He looked at his watch again and cursed, finishing his drink he put the empty bottle in his pack to toss later.

It had only been three minutes? How was it possible for time to pass so slowly? He sat back as a cloud passed overhead, blocking out the sun for just a minute. It was a brief reprieve from the heat; he closed his eyes to enjoy it.

He heard the steps approach, a hopping almost skipping, solid gait that had been memorized from high school. The swish of clothing, the clunk of his accessories. The presence was overwhelming; his smell intoxicating. Suddenly he couldn't think anymore. He'd come here to talk. He'd planned it during his break, he was wasting his own damn time.

Fuck.

"Bakugou." The soft, deep voice unhinged him. "Were you waiting long?"

God he didn't want to look.

God he didn't want to waste a second not looking.

He opened one eye, pinning his friend with intent, trying to keep the tumultuous emotions and thoughts hidden behind his ever present mask.

"The fuck you late for, dumbass?" His lips kicked up on one side.

Kirishima grinned wide, his eyes glittering - mother. Fucking. Glittering - as he ran his palms over his pants. The motion was familiar by now, though Katsuki still couldn't place what triggered the action.

The red head swallowed visibly, his grin changed - no longer reaching his eyes as he blinked, looking away and back again with that new expression. "You were waiting?"

Somehow that simple phrase changed the atmosphere between them. Bakugou sat, turning towards Eijirou.

"I am going to be the number one hero." He reiterated for the billionth time.

Eijirou rolled his eyes, his hands still tightly clenched on his thighs. "So you've said since UA. I believe you." His eyes softened at the corners and fuck if Bakugou didn't feel his heart bottom out as his stomach twisted. "And I'm not going to give you that spot so easily." The larger man leaned back, throwing an arm over the back of the bench and kicking a leg out. "I'm more popular that you." He bragged, "less abrasive, easier on the eyes." He motioned to his -

Fuckin' beautiful torso. Bakugous eyes closed as he let out a slow, steady breath through his nose hoping to release the heat that had been building within him since the stupid idiot had sat down.

"I know." Bakugou admitted, catching the surprised stare of Kirishima. "We've been neck and neck in the polls. You're always ahead by popularity vote-"

"W-well yeah," Eijirou's hand landed on Bakogou's shoulder, "but you always arrest the most criminals. And villians." He amended with a sheepish grin.

God this was difficult to do. Bakugou could feel his heart hammering in his chest, like it was trying to escape his rib cage. He had to ask. He had to ask. He had to do it now. Be manly. His friends words once again guiding him.

"I realize I'm..." he leaned into the big mans palm, he could have sworn he felt Kirishima's thumb rub against the skin exposed by his tank top; electricity and fire roared under his skin. "Difficult. That's why I think you and I should - I want to-" Say it, you cowardly piece of fuck! "I want to start an agency. I want to be part of a team-"

Kirishima's brows knit tight over his eyes, his lips jut out in a frown.

I want to bite them. The thought was intrusive, unwanted - absolutely intoxicating.

"No one does teams since the Wild, Wild Pussycats retired." Kirishima pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth.

Bakugou stifled a groan as something very primal ran straight to his groin. "I know." He snapped. "But you balance me, you make me a better fighter. You're my..." he noticed the crowd gathering around them now. Someone had pulled out their cellphone.

Well shit. He sucked in a deep breath.

Kirishima had retracted his arm, his face nearly as red as his hair as he shook his head. "I can't." His voice was low, almost ashamed.

The answer knocked Bakugou's breath away. He frowned at his knees, straightening. "Eijirou, why?"

He saw the man flinch and all of a sudden all his insecurities, the ones he fought so hard to keep at bay, flooded him and he didn't give a shit if people were recording.

"Is it because I'm an asshole? I know I am," he was losing control of the situation - of himself. He worked so hard to not, and yet here he was like he was an arrogant teen again. All that progress lost because of fucking emotions. "I know I'm not good enough as I am. I know I put pressure on everyone around me. To push me, to push them. To meet my goals I'll push anyone I have to as far as I need to. I know I'm relentless and obsessive. I know I'm difficult and rude and crass and abrasive and uncouth. I know you'll always be better liked than I am, I know you'll always be more positive and people smart and- you're like the glue that holds society together. You're someone people look to and say 'I can trust him'. It doesn't matter what it is, Eijirou. And I-I will never, never be that person. I'm trying. I'm trying so hard. And I- I can't match you on that level." His hands were popping, the smell of his sweat was pungently caramel and burnt. He was ashamed to find himself so worked up. He fought the tears that threatened at the whirling emotions that raged within. "It's why I fucking love you so much."

The silence that followed the accidental confession was deafening.

PART 2

@sammie-skele-turtle

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delphinidin4 · 6 years

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Forty-five percent of adults say they’re preoccupied with their weight some or all of the time—an 11-point rise since 1990. Nearly half of 3- to 6- year old girls say they worry about being fat.

...

I have never written a story where so many of my sources cried during interviews, where they shook with anger describing their interactions with doctors and strangers and their own families.

Chances of a woman classified as obese achieving a “normal” weight:.008%

SOURCE: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, 2015

Diets do not work. Not just paleo or Atkins or Weight Watchers or Goop, but all diets. Since 1959, research has shown that 95 to 98 percent of attempts to lose weight fail and that two-thirds of dieters gain back more than they lost. The reasons are biological and irreversible. As early as 1969, research showed that losing just 3 percent of your body weight resulted in a 17 percent slowdown in your metabolism

“As a kid, I thought that fat people were just lonely and sad—almost like these pathetic lost causes. So I want to show that we get to experience love, too. I’m not some 'fat friend' or some dude's chubby chasing dream. I'm genuinely happy. I just wish I'd known how possible that was when I was a kiddo.”— CORISSA ENNEKING

“If you looked at anything other than my weight,” Enneking says now, “I had an eating disorder. And my doctor was congratulating me.”

...

This phenomenon is not merely anecdotal. Doctors have shorter appointments with fat patients and show less emotional rapport in the minutes they do have. Negative words—“noncompliant,” “overindulgent,” “weak willed”—pop up in their medical histories with higher frequency. ... In 2011, the Sun-Sentinel polled OB-GYNs in South Florida and discovered that 14 percent had barred all new patients weighing more than 200 pounds.

...

When Joy Cox, an academic in New Jersey, was 16, she went to the hospital with stomach pains. The doctor didn’t diagnose her dangerously inflamed bile duct, but he did, out of nowhere, suggest that she’d get better if she stopped eating so much fried chicken. “He managed to denigrate my fatness and my blackness in the same sentence,” she says.

“There is so much agency taken from marginalized groups to mute their voices and mask their existence. Being depicted as a female CEO—one who is also black and fat—means so much to me. It is a representation of the reclamation of power in the boardroom, classroom and living room of my body. I own all of this.”— JOY COX

Physicians are often required, in writing, to prove to hospital administrators and insurance providers that they have brought up their patient’s weight and formulated a plan to bring it down—regardless of whether that patient came in with arthritis or a broken arm or a bad sunburn. Failing to do that could result in poor performance reviews, low ratings from insurance companies or being denied reimbursement if they refer patients to specialized care.

...

Three separate studies have found that fat women are more likely to die from breast and cervical cancers than non-fat women, a result partially attributed to their reluctance to see doctors and get screenings. Erin Harrop, a researcher at the University of Washington, studies higher-weight women with anorexia, who, contrary to the size-zero stereotype of most media depictions, are twice as likely to report vomiting, using laxatives and abusing diet pills. Thin women, Harrop discovered, take around three years to get into treatment, while her participants spent an average of 13 and a half years waiting for their disorders to be addressed.

...

If Sonya ever forgets that she is fat, the world will remind her. She has stopped taking the bus, she tells me, because she can sense the aggravation of the passengers squeezing past her. Sarah, the tech CEO, tenses up when anyone brings bagels to a work meeting. If she reaches for one, are her employees thinking, “There goes the fat boss”? If she doesn’t, are they silently congratulating her for showing some restraint?

Emily says it’s the do-gooders who get to her, the women who stop her on the street and tell her how brave she is for wearing a sleeveless dress on a 95-degree day.

Ratio of soda and candy ads seen by black children compared to white children: 2:1

SOURCE: UCONN RUDD CENTER FOR FOOD POLICY AND OBESITY, 2015

This is how fat-shaming works: It is visible and invisible, public and private, hidden and everywhere at the same time. Research consistently finds that larger Americans (especially larger women) earn lower salaries and are less likely to be hired and promoted.... What’s worse, only a few cities and one state (nice work, Michigan) officially prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of weight.

...Paradoxically, as the number of larger Americans has risen, the biases against them have become more severe. More than 40 percent of Americans classified as obese now say they experience stigma on a daily basis, a rate far higher than any other minority group. And this does terrible things to their bodies. According to a 2015 study, fat people who feel discriminated against have shorter life expectancies than fat people who don't. “These findings suggest the possibility that the stigma associated with being overweight,” the study concluded, “is more harmful than actually being overweight.”

...

Kids as young as 3 describe their larger classmates with words like “mean,” “stupid” and “lazy.”

And yet, despite weight being the number one reason children are bullied at school, America’s institutions of public health continue to pursue policies perfectly designed to inflame the cruelty. TV and billboard campaigns still use slogans like “Too much screen time, too much kid” and “Being fat takes the fun out of being a kid.” Cat Pausé, a researcher at Massey University in New Zealand, spent months looking for a single public health campaign, worldwide, that attempted to reduce stigma against fat people and came up empty. In an incendiary case of good intentions gone bad, about a dozen states now send children home with “BMI report cards,” an intervention unlikely to have any effect on their weight but almost certain to increase bullying from the people closest to them. [I have a friend who had to take a paper home in high school telling her family she was obese. Now, in her late twenties, she’s still dealing with the emotional scars.]

...

The effects of weight bias get worse when they’re layered on top of other types of discrimination. A 2012 study found that African-American women are more likely to become depressed after internalizing weight stigma than white women. Hispanic and black teenagers also have significantly higher rates of bulimia. And, in a remarkable finding, rich people of color have higher rates of cardiovascular disease than poor people of color—the opposite of what happens with white people. One explanation is that navigating increasingly white spaces, and increasingly higher stakes, exerts stress on racial minorities that, over time, makes them more susceptible to heart problems.

...

But perhaps the most unique aspect of weight stigma is how it isolates its victims from one another. For most minority groups, discrimination contributes to a sense of belongingness, a community in opposition to a majority. Gay people like other gay people; Mormons root for other Mormons. Surveys of higher-weight people, however, reveal that they hold many of the same biases as the people discriminating against them. In a 2005 study, the words obese participants used to classify other obese people included gluttonous, unclean and sluggish.

...

Fat people, though, never get a moment of declaring their identity, of marking themselves as part of a distinct group. They still live in a society that believes weight is temporary, that losing it is urgent and achievable, that being comfortable in their bodies is merely “glorifying obesity.” This limbo, this lie, is why it’s so hard for fat people to discover one another or even themselves. “No one believes our It Gets Better story,” says Tigress Osborn, the director of community outreach for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. “You can’t claim an identity if everyone around you is saying it doesn’t or shouldn’t exist.”

“I think some folks are genuinely surprised that a man who looks like him is with a woman like me. As a fat person, I'm very aware of when I'm being stared at—and I have never been looked at this much before. So I thought that taking the photo in public would be a good idea. It feels subversive to show my fat body doing regular stuff the world believes I don't or can't do.”— EMILY

Since 1980, the obesity rate has doubled in 73 countries and increased in 113 others. And in all that time, no nation has reduced its obesity rate. Not one.

...

The problem is that in America, like everywhere else, our institutions of public health have become so obsessed with body weight that they have overlooked what is really killing us: our food supply. Diet is the leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for more than five times the fatalities of gun violence and car accidents combined. But it’s not how much we’re eating—Americans actually consume fewer calories now than we did in 2003. It’s what we’re eating.

For more than a decade now, researchers have found that the quality of our food affects disease risk independently of its effect on weight. Fructose, for example, appears to damage insulin sensitivity and liver function more than other sweeteners with the same number of calories. People who eat nuts four times a week have 12 percent lower diabetes incidence and a 13 percent lower mortality rate regardless of their weight. All of our biological systems for regulating energy, hunger and satiety get thrown off by eating foods that are high in sugar, low in fiber and injected with additives. And which now, shockingly, make up 60 percent of the calories we eat.

4% of all agricultural subsidies go to fruits and vegetables.

SOURCE: ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP, 2014-16

But that’s still no reason to despair. There’s a lot we can do right now to improve fat people’s lives—to shift our focus for the first time from weight to health and from shame to support.

...

In 2017, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the expert panel that decides which treatments should be offered for free under Obamacare, found that the decisive factor in obesity care was not the diet patients went on, but how much attention and support they received while they were on it. Participants who got more than 12 sessions with a dietician saw significant reductions in their rates of prediabetes and cardiovascular risk. Those who got less personalized care showed almost no improvement at all.

“My son and I both like to play the hero. There wasn't necessarily any intentional symbolism in the costumes we chose, but I am definitely a member of the rebellion, and I see my role as an eating disorders researcher as trying to fight for justice and a better world. Also, I like that I'm sweaty, dirty and messy, not done up with makeup or with my hair down in this picture. I like that I'm not hiding my stomach, thighs or arms. Not because I'm comfortable being photographed like that, but because I want to be—and I want others to feel free to be like that, too.”— ERIN HARROP

A review of 44 international studies found that school-based activity programs didn’t affect kids’ weight, but improved their athletic ability, tripled the amount of time they spent exercising and reduced their daily TV consumption by up to an hour. Another survey showed that two years of getting kids to exercise and eat better didn’t noticeably affect their size but did improve their math scores—an effect that was greater for black kids than white kids.

You see this in so much of the research: The most effective health interventions aren't actually health interventions—they are policies that ease the hardship of poverty and free up time for movement and play and parenting. Developing countries with higher wages for women have lower obesity rates, and lives are transformed when healthy food is made cheaper. A pilot program in Massachusetts that gave food stamp recipients an extra 30 cents for every $1 they spent on healthy food increased fruit and vegetable consumption by 26 percent. Policies like this are unlikely to affect our weight. They are almost certain, however, to significantly improve our health.

...

What does work, Corrigan says, is for fat people to make it clear to everyone they interact with that their size is nothing to apologize for. “When you pity someone, you think they’re less effective, less competent, more hurt,” he says. “You don’t see them as capable. The only way to get rid of stigma is from power.”

...

This has always been the great hope of the fat-acceptance movement. (“We’re here, we’re spheres, get used to it” was one of the slogans in the 1990s.) But this radical message has long since been co-opted by clothing brands, diet companies and soap corporations. Weight Watchers has rebranded as a “lifestyle program,” but still promises that its members can shrink their way to happiness. Mainstream apparel companies market themselves as “body positive” but refuse to make clothes that fit the plus-size models on their own billboards.

...

“Fat activism isn’t about making people feel better about themselves,” Pausé says. “It’s about not being denied your civil rights and not dying because a doctor misdiagnoses you.”

...

There is no magical cure. There is no time machine. There is only the revolutionary act of being fat and happy in a world that tells you that’s impossible.

“We all have to do our best with the body that we have,” [Ginette Lenham] says. “And leave everyone else’s alone.”

#fat pride

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writing-them-chocobros · 7 years

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A Very Happy Birthday Suprise

(This was written with a Blind!Ignis and he’s not in the entire thing. Whoops. :P This also includes you, the reader! :D))

The seventh of February. A year had already passed and it was that day again. Today was the one day that you were able to sit Ignis' ass down at let him be the one served for once. Of course, you would have to lie, giving some sort of explanations how one day ran into the next and that glorious speech. Unless Ignis could ask that damned phone of his, he would be none the wiser when you had left the house for a bit.

Crawling onto Lestallum's streets, you found two friendly looking faces. They greeted you with their warm friendly smiles as usual. "Gladio, Prompto. Ready to get the stuff?"

Gladiolus had been pushing the sides of his hair back into a ponytail as he huffed and responded. "Well, you ordered a bit too much food and Prompto's been itching to get to that one good's store for the gifts. What do you think?" He laughed as he winked towards you.Your face warmed up, cheeks burning red. Always the casanova and flirting.

But Prompto's eyes were huge. Maybe the lack of sleep these days made him look more tired - but today, despite all the darkness around, he reminded you of years past, when the sun burned brightly in the air. Smile on his face and everything, even with the bags under his eyes darkening by the day. "Y/N, do you think that fine new cane would suit him. Or no, I saw these really cool pairs of glasses that would accentuate that scar of his." He brushed his hand over his left eye when he was talking about it.."You already think Iggy good without it all, but... gotta make the man shine even more for you."

What the hell was with these two trying to get you so flustered over something so trivial. This was not your birthday but the two made you feel like was.

You waved your hands to shoo them away from the door. "Come on, come on. It's almost three and that's when he has his afternoon tea and then his timer goes off for his afternoon walk." Thankfully, you knew his schedule for his off days and he was punctual as always. The two men laughed before agreeing with you that leaving would be the best right now.

The three of you amigos made your way to the market. Lights beamed down on the crowds as you all went by. They had to. It was overcrowded, but with Gladio gladly making way for you and Prompto through the crowd, getting through was not much of an issue. Everyone was here and Lestallum was at its limit, having to build both outward and upward with the influx of those from the outlier areas and those that had come in from Altissia. Peddlers on the streets asked you to buy their wares, but you politely declined. Prompto bought of few things while Gladiolus and you stood and waited.

"So, how's Iggy been? I know it's been awhile since Prompt and I saw him. Vision getting any better?"

"No, unfortunately not. But he gets better at his day-to-day tasks, especially with the added repetition." You sighed. "Though he is happy I get his Ebony prepared a certain way in the morning. Coffee pot here and cups right next to it. If he doesn't want straight black for the day, two small creams and a teaspoon of sugar exactly."

Blink towards you, Gladio covered his mouth before he gave a chortle on how your coffee preparations went. "Man, is he blessed with someone with extreme patience for that kind of stuff. But at least he's getting there."

"Yeah, and not needing a cane all the time to walk helps him feel... I don't know... normalized. I guess."

He grunted, though you barely heard it above the clamouring of the crowd. Sounded like a fight had gone off somewhere on the opposite side. Your journey was on the side you were headed, thank god.

Holding two small bags, Prompto had a skewer in his mouth, happily munching on it when he had come back. "Ser, wherter ne' gurs..." Looking on incredibly, neither of you could understand a word out of his mouth. Taking cue, he swallowed fast. "Where to next?"

Gladio pointed with his thumb towards one of the restaurants in the city that did catering and pick up. You were no great chef but could bake... decently. And, hell if you trusted Gladio or Prompto to cook either. Ignis would probably die if any of you made what he actually liked.

Getting to the restaurant was no easy task as people were clogging up your way and not even the teddy bear could plow his way through. But the smell of the spices, the meats, and ooo, was that some fruit, lingered in the air as you managed to take another five minutes squeezing through everyone. Prompto screeched a bit when he one of the bags almost fell out of his hands, but you managed to help him save it. Teamwork and all for the Igs.

When you stepped inside, the amount of people drastically dropped and you managed to get one of the receptionist's attention. "Excuse me, I have a pick up for Scientia?" You politely inquired, hoping the food was done by now. It had taken a bit longer for you to get here than you would like with the crowd and Prompto stopping for more gifts... Why Prompto..

The receptionist spoke up with your order. "So, You ordered the breaded cutlet, tomato added and... wow, you ordered seafood... Someone must be special if they have to have a luxury meat that you have to go to the coast for." They rubbed their head listing off several sides and main courses before finishing up additional drink on the side you ordered for yourself, Gladiolus, and Prompto.

"How much food did you order again?" Gladio flatly spoke up.

"A lot..."

Prompto had to chime in. "You even got stuff me and Gladio like... You gonna propose or something?"

Glancing straight at Prompto, you shot daggers at him as your face was extremely red. You just pulled the money out before handing it straight over to the receptionist. They had wide eyes and weren't going to provoke you with a ten foot poll. The big man had to move to the wall, holding himself upright, as he laughed his arse off at that question.

"N-No! Ignis and I are perfectly happy and content with our relationship right now." You snapped back quickly before having to wait. Prompto himself was laughing at your defensiveness as you just were the awkward turtle in this situation.

When you wait was finally up, you were given a box... A box that weighed more than you could take home. Biting you lip, you put on the pathetic looking face at Gladio who had just calmed down from his laughing earlier. Lip out, you commenced the pouting. He squirmed as you kept getting closer.

"Alright, alright. I'll take it." Her rubbed the top of your head as you whispered a small 'yes'. Prompto high fived you as you took your leave and Gladio headed the pack.

The streets had lessened up a bit with people, but not by much for the ten or so minute you had to have been waiting. You nudged Prompto, asking him for the time. When he said it was 3:30, you internally panicked. Ignis had another half hour before he would be home. And with this crowd to set stuff up was going to be... a killer unless he ran into the same issue you did. You mentioned your game plan to the two chocobros about getting back in time. And both were in agreeance.

Shouting at the top of his lungs, Prompto made the loudest, weirdest noises as you and Gladio both squeezed behind him. You got looks, but the crowd definitely parted. You were not going to complain as he hushed up as you got closer to the place you and Ignis shared together. Thank the six.

"Time check?" You looked to Prompto as he got his phone and told you 3:50. "Okay ten minutes to set everything up... Oooh gods."

You all rushed up into the room. Going in first, you checked every possible place you could to see if Ignis got back early. But he hadn't. Sighing in relief you invited the guys in as they put things where they were supposed to go. You and Gladiolus unpacked the food while Prompto put up decorations. Ignis wouldn't be able to see them, but you smiled, knowing it was the thought that would count.

The sound of the door unlocking prompted you to push the two boys into the living room for the time being as you nervously stood in place. Prompto made some stupid noise before the door opened and you hastily shushed him.

"Dear, I'm back. Heavens, the marketplace was bustling today... and for a weekday no doubt." Ignis looked disheveled. His route had to have involved the large crowd you and the boys had run into earlier.

You clapped your hands, still a nervous grin on your face. The other two were moving and if you could hear it, Ignis would be able to hear it ten fold. “Of course, I was just out a bit earlier. You didn’t lose anything while you were out did you?” You asked, as you noticed him start to sniff the air.

“I would hope not, but my, my, it seems someone was able to work magic within the time I was gone.” Oh, he could definitely smell the food as he tapped his cane against the floor, coming closer to you. His hands were a bit shaky when he reach out to you, but he found your shoulder before pulling you into a hug.

“Haha, you know me. I am definitely a miracle worker….” You embraced him back, taking in the sweet smell of his cologne. Still had to stay classy he did.

“You didn’t have to go out of this way for me, darling. I could’ve managed to make anything myself tonight. Though I must say I am impressed…” Ohh, here came the sarcastic, snarky tone. “To get this all done within maybe a half hour or forty-five minutes. “Miracle worker, indeed.” He laughed before kissing you a top the forehead.

And then, someone just had to run the surprise. “Iggy and his food porn.”

Turning his head to the side, Ignis furrowed his eyebrow - yes, that one eyebrow. “Prompto.” He took a short pause. “And I assume Gladiolus is next to you.”

“You damn serious, Iggy.” Gladio popped up from behind the couch they had aptly hid behind. There was absolutely no way you could’ve not hid anyone from him.

Both of them awkwardly got up from their place before joining you in the kitchen. You and Ignis were still in your embrace until Prompto came running and wrapping his arms around you both. Ooph. And then Gladiolus just came in and all three of you in his arms groaned - too much people, not enough air.

“Gladiolus! Please… let… go... “ Ignis breathed out as Prompto was clearly dying being in the middle of this group hug. You felt yourself groan in agony from some back pain.

Gladio patted Iggy’s back, laughing hard at how everyone was acting. The chocobo haired one was breathing, his face flushed from almost dying from friendship.

“Now, what brings both of you here? I know we don’t have another mission nor do we have to go to Hammerhead for Miss Cindy? Most peculiar…” Ignis remarked, his expression full of wonder as you escorted him to the dining table as well as the other’s before forgoing tradition of meal first and cake later.

Prompto and Gladiolus answered at once. “Just wait a sec, Iggy.” Ignis was about to protest, but it was clear that he had been defeated in this matter.

You had toiled on this fluffy chiffon cake, and he was going to like it. Even if his were far superior to yours. You found a lighter along with the candle, bringing the plate to in front of him. “One second.” The light that once took over the room was now gone as the clicking of the lighter would be heard as you came back.

When the candle was lit, Ignis’ face illuminated. You knew he could barely make out the light that was in front of him. But the three of you were there for him, your hand rubbing his shoulder. “One… two...three…” You counted aloud.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Ignis sat there, his mouth open and looking more confused by the second. He was speechless as he did what was supposed to be necessary for this type of thing. Blowing out his candle, he sniffled.

The sound of him trying to hold back some raw emotion was heartwarming. “I don’t know what to say…” He remarked, lifting his glasses. He ‘looked’ to Gladiolus, then Prompto, and then to you. “I… Thank you.”

Food, stories, games, and drinks were abound for the night. You had remembered a day he had forgotten when the days meshed in with the next.

At the end of the night, when the other two left, Ignis whispered straight into your ear. “Sweetheart, thank you again… and I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

#ignis scientia #prompto argentum #gladiolus amicitia #ffxv #yes #there is no #noctis #>_>#<_<#That was on purpose

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go-redgirl · 6 years

Photo

Judge agrees to delay Stormy Daniels’ lawsuit against Trump

by AP 27 Apr 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has delayed a lawsuit by porn actress Stormy Daniels against President Donald Trump and his personal attorney.

In a decision Friday, U.S. District Judge S. James Otero agreed to delay the case and set a hearing for July 27.

Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, asked to delay the case after FBI agents raided his home and office earlier this month. The FBI was seeking records about a nondisclosure agreement Daniels signed days before the 2016 presidential election.

Cohen argues that his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination may be jeopardized if the proceedings weren’t delayed.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, says she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and sued to invalidate the confidentiality agreement that prevents her from discussing it. She’s also suing Cohen, alleging defamation.

There are Stormy days ahead for the Demoncrats. People are getting sick of their carnival disasters.

INDIVIDUALS COMENTS:

Spock here SouthernGent • 15 hours ago

Logic to a Liberal is doubling down on stupid. Yes Americans are getting fed up with the Klingon Crap of Mueller, the Russians, Stormy, and the rest of the nonsense.

I see a RED WAVE engulfing and rolling over that little blue ripple.

Spock out.

wiseoldfart Spock here • 12 hours ago

The blue wave is rapidly becoming a blue cave. Hello down there!

Jrl for trump wiseoldfart • 4 hours ago

Go red or be enslaved

shudafucup wiseoldfart • 4 hours ago

Lol

RealisNothinganymore wiseoldfart • 12 hours ago

Wish casting

GeeWillikersWally Spock here • 13 hours ago

Don't walk too far from your little house on the prairie. You might fall off the end of the flat earth.

Randy Lee GeeWillikersWally • 13 hours ago

is that really the best you got?? thats really pathetic.

Hamper Randy Lee • 12 hours ago

Libs aren't too bright.

Yvette Hamper • an hour ago

Simple solution. Just block their stupidity.

Yvette Hamper • an hour ago

I like to send pictures from the space station of the earth to show them just how NOT FLAT our planet is. They still argue. LOL. Whatever!!

Ross Carnsew Yvette • 32 minutes ago

What did President Trump say about people who hide by taking the fifth?

Oh dear.

megajess Ross Carnsew • 10 minutes ago

Eh, really!

Delenda Est Randy Lee • 8 hours ago

That was hilarious, actually.

Jake1001 Randy Lee • 11 minutes ago

I think it is pretty good.

poorboyhome Randy Lee • 2 hours ago

Sounds better than your reply!

Hates Liberals poorboyhome • 36 minutes ago

That's because you are just as dumb.

BarryDuhStutterer GeeWillikersWally • 13 hours ago

you DO know that flat earthers and climate hysteria go hand in hand.... hmmm?

Freewheeling Frank BarryDuhStutterer • 12 hours ago

And global warming too!!

Philly BarryDuhStutterer • 4 hours ago

Actually.... off topic from the article but responding to you, it’s really difficult to believe in flat earth AND climate change/global warming. Climate change is believing in science as if it is god or a religion. Flat earthers are the opposite of that.

354tsdvf Philly • 3 hours ago

i always wonder whats with flat-earthers. if the earth is flat, whats on the other side? where is the edge? what happens when you get there? also, where do the sun and moon go when they get to the horizon?

why does an object launched straight up, land in an almost predictable direction in opposite of the rotation of the planet? why does someone have to compensate for the curvature of the "flat earth" when firing a 2mile shot?

flat-earthers have something missing from their anatomy, it's something important and smushy.

Stefan in New England 354tsdvf • 2 hours ago

I've looked at some of the "flat earth" stuff and can't figure out if they are serious, or just getting a chuckle from pulling a massive hoax on everyone. Sorta like the man-made global warming, climate change fanatics.

amin amershi 354tsdvf • 2 hours ago

What's on the other side? "Made in China" label.

amin amershi BarryDuhStutterer • 2 hours ago

He'll fall off the earth and straight into a nice fluffy cloud of carbon dioxide and water vapor and lounge with Al Gore.

Jake1001 amin amershi • 8 minutes ago

98% of climate scientists say it is real and some stupid ill educated Trumpers say it isn’t. Gee, who would an even 1/2 smart person believe?

Jack Bannerman GeeWillikersWally • 4 hours ago

Downvoted for stupidity and because I feel both embarrassed and sorry for you.

GeeWillikersWally Jack Bannerman • 4 hours ago

Thank you !

wiseoldfart GeeWillikersWally • 12 hours ago

Impossible. There's a life-saving Trump wall there.

Gene B GeeWillikersWally • 7 hours ago

Are you a real cretin or just acting?

GeeWillikersWally Gene B • 5 hours ago

Sounds like the edge is even closer for you.

Gene B GeeWillikersWally • 4 hours ago

Relax. Not even close. But you still didn't answer my question MORON.

amin amershi Gene B • 2 hours ago

Only a moron expects an answer from another moron. Smarten up fella.

GeeWillikersWally Gene B • 4 hours ago

Your question? Am I a real cretin? No, I'm a pretend cretin. Stay close to home and stay tuned to Hannity.

amin amershi GeeWillikersWally • 2 hours ago

That is funny.

tom GeeWillikersWally • 2 hours ago

Don't leave your EBT card at home, you'll have to use your disability money.

shudafucup GeeWillikersWally • 4 hours ago

Your

John graham GeeWillikersWally • 4 hours ago

are you another science denying liberal?

Yvette Spock here • an hour ago

2020 won't matter if we don't show up and vote full force this year. FULL STOP!!

skokan Spock here • 14 hours ago

They are getting tired of Trump who caused those things

Jrl for trump skokan • 4 hours ago

a bigger land slide than last time your losing your voters base maga 2020

Morgan Thomas Spock here • an hour ago

Shouldn't be a problem to have a red wave! The democrats have done absolutely nothing but make total jackasses of themselves!

just_a_moderate Spock here • an hour ago

Then you should be able to take your money and double it.

Gambling books are laying 2:1 for people who want to bet that the GOP will retain the House.

Jack Bannerman Spock here • 4 hours ago

The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few....

Joey Boats Spock here • 15 hours ago

Like many trump supporters you see things that aren't actually there!

sevines Joey Boats • 15 hours ago

What, like all the fake polls and news that said Hillary was going to win in a landslide? You mean things like that?

Joey Boats sevines • 15 hours ago

No, like the fake polls that give the donald a 51% job approval rating! More like those polls...

sevines Joey Boats • 14 hours ago

You're right, those are fake polls. His support is probably higher, at least where it counts.

ROTB sevines • 14 hours ago

Nicely done!

Gene B sevines • 7 hours ago

EXACTLY.

Factsnotfeelings sevines • 5 hours ago

Adjusting for their margin of error during the election, Trumps approval is around 119%

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